Heater for freight-cars.



PATENTED APR. 21, 1908.

0.- 0. PALMER. HEATER FOR FREIGHT CARS.

APPLIGATIQN FILED 001224, 1901.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GASSIUS CLAY PALMER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR. TO RAILWAY & STATIONARY REFRIGERATING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

HEATER FOR FREIGHT-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 21, 1908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CAssiUs C. PALMER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Heater for Freight-Oars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved heater to be employed in connection with cars when used in cold weather for the transportation of perishable goods which would be injured by too low a temperature. Such cars would usually, although not necessarily, be refrigerator cars or cars of that character.

My invention comprises novel features hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the claims.

Figures 1 and 2 are respectively longitudinal and cross sectional elevations of a car with my heater therein; Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations from positions at right angles to each other of the heater; Figs. 5 and 6 and 7 are detail views of parts.

In shipping fruits, vegetables and other goods which are liable to be injured-by much variation from a standard temperature it is usual practice to use refrigerator cars in which by the use of ice or a mechanical refrigerating apparatus the temperature may be kept from rising too high. It often happens that such cars either by sudden changes in temperature or by travel from, one latitude to another are subject in the same trip to wide variations in temperature, even sufficient to freeze their contents. To prevent these results under such conditions and to make it possible to safely ship the tenderest plants and fruits even in the coldest weather is the object of my present invention.

Preferably a refrigerator car or a similar car having thick, non-conducting walls is to be used as such a car will best retain the heat. In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown a refrigerator car having in one end a chamber B separated from the chill room or cargo space A, by a partition. Within the chamber B is placed the mechanical refrigerating apparatus. As this refrigerating apparatus forms-no part of my present invention, I have not herein shown it. In the chamber B is placed a heater, preferably using an oil burner, which is connected with the chill room so as to draw air therefrom, and after heating it to discharge it into the chill room. In case ice-is used for refrigeration or if for any other reason such a chamber is not available, the

heater may be located in any convenient position.

The heater as large oil lamp or stove H which is placed beneath an outer casing D, the products of combustion passing upwardly through pipes E within the casing. Discharge of the prod ucts of combustion into the chill room or storage space, would in many if not most cases, be objectionable, so that I have provided that they be kept separate from the air in the chill room by using the pipes E within the case and discharging these pipes into the chamber B or into the outer air. The air for heating the chill room or storage space enters the lower end of the outer case D of the heater by a ipe F which passes through the partition dividing the car. The air after heating is discharged through the pipe G. A

heater of this sort will serve to keep the interior of the car at a safe temperature when the outside temperature is far below the freezing point. In using oil in this way upon cars, there is always the danger of fire resulting from accidents to be considered. To prevent this I have devisedmeans by which a severe shock such as would result from an accident would extinguish the lamp.

The lamp, which is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, is such as is commonly used as a heater although any convenient form of oil burner may be used. The wick is connected in the usual or any desired way with. a rod I which moves up and down in suitable guides. This rod is usually toothed or formed as a rack and is engaged by a pinion carried by a shaft and is raised by turning said shaft by means of a hand Wheel or knob secured to the outer end of the'shaft.

In the lamp herein shown the wick is raised and lowered in the same way but the toothed section of the rod I is placed below the lamp bowl as is also the inion J, its shaft J, and the wheel J 2 by whic it is turned. The wheel J 2 has a cord 7c secured thereto and passed about it enough times so that by pulling upon the cord the wick may be lowered enough to insure its being eventually extinguished. This cord passes over a pulley L and has a weight K secured thereto sufficiently large to insure a prompt lowering of the wick as soon as it is ermitted to act. The weight slides upon guides K which preherein shown consists of a a vent its swinging about and restrain its move ments within a certain path.

The wick raising and lowering rod I is sustained in its elevated position by means of a trip device which is actuated to release the red I by a weight which is movable more or less freely under the influence of sudden shocks such as always accompany derailments or serious railway accidents.

M is a weight extending lengthwise the car and mounted to slide in guides l. m is a projection of said weight and tends to act as a further guide. The said weight is more or less restrained in its movement by the contact of a spring or springs, as the spring m the pressure of which is controlled by the screw a. To one end of the weight is attached an arm or bar 0 which has a finger or tooth O projecting transversely of the direction of movement of the weight and adapted. to be placed beneath the lower end of the rod I so as to hold it and the wick in the elevated position necessary to permit the lamp being lighted. The finger O is shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 7 as being conveXly rounded on its upper side, so that it may be easily moved from beneath the rod I.

hen a heavy shock is given to the car in the direction of its length. the weight M is displaced in one direction or the other, thus removing the support-from the rod I and permitting the weight K to operate to lower the Wick. To further insure extinguislnnent of the flame, a cap or extinguisher R is supported from the rod. I by an arm S immediately over the wick and when the bar I is dropped the extinguisher comes down over the wick and covers the wick opening thus farther, insuring extinguishment. The attachment of the cord 7c to the weight K is by means of a small spool 7c upon which a little of the cord may be wound, and the spool then locked: By this means an adjustment is secured to compensate for variations in the height of the wick caused by its gradual consumption. The arm 0 which supports the rod I is also adjustable in position for the same purpose. This is herein shown, as secured by using a set screw P. The lower end of the outer ease D of the heater has a small section d made movable by being hinged or otherwise, so that the lamp may be conveniently put in place or removed.

I/Vith a device of this character it is perfectly safe to place heaters in cars as they are sure of going out if a serious accident occurs. The device may be set so that the lamp will be extinguished by such shocks as are occasioned by severe bumping during switching operations without serious objection. It is but a small matter to examine the cars occasionally to see if the lamps are lighted, aml this may be attended to by a special attendant who accompanies the cars or by the train crew. This service would be much less than that now rendered in caring for refrigerator cars to keep their contents cool.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination with av car, of a heater therefor including a lamp member, an extinguishing device comprising, a. rod for raising and lowering the wick of the lamp member, a vertically movable weight connected to the rod, a trip for holding the weight in an elevated position, and means for actuating the trip to operate the weight, such means comprising a longitmlinally sliding displaceable weight.

2. The combination of a car, a heater therefor including a lamp, a rod for raising and lowering the wick of the lamp, a weight movable in guides for actuating said rod/an arm having a projection for sustaining the wick in an elevated position, a second weight sustaining the arm in its wick-elevating position, said sustaining weight being adapted to be displaced by a shock or jar to the ear.

3. The combination of a car, a heater therefor, including a lamp, a rod cooperating with the wick of the lamp to lower the latter, an arm for normally holding said rod out of action, a weight to which said arm is attached, said weight being displac nible by shock to release the rod, and means for regulating the movement of the weight to accommodate its action to variations of shock.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses this 18th day of October, 1901.

(.ASSIU CLAY PALMEh. Witnesses:

H. L. ltnrNoLns, C. J. RA'rnJEN. 

